The Serpent: REWRITTEN
by aliceistiny
Summary: 6th year. Harry/OC. Draco/Hermione. There's a mystery girl lurking in the Slytherin student body and the Golden Trio is looking to figure out who she is. REVIEW please. Warning: short chapters and OOC-ness.
1. The First Sighting

**Hello, all! So this IS a rewrite of my story **_**the Serpent**_**. Same title, plot, and characters.**

**On a side note: Alya is not just a regular name I pulled out of the air. It, just like the other members of the Black family, comes from an astrological view. Alya, **_**"snake", **_**comes from the constellation **_**Serpens**_**, hence the name Alya Hydra Serpens.**

**Anyways, here is the rewritten version of **_**The Serpent.**_

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT, NOW WILL I EVER, OWN THE MAGICAL WORLD THAT IS HARRY POTTER. IT ALL BELONGS TO JK ROWLING. LONG LIVE THE QUEEN.**

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The Great Hall was buzzing with chatter when the doors slammed open and in walked Draco Malfoy with his cronies. The Slytherins made their way to their respective table, Draco talking to them about something seemingly important since they all listened and nodded with interest. The Golden Trio, who had been suspicious of Draco since the beginning of term two months ago, took notice of this and watched carefully. Hermione and Ron were had their eyes set specifically on the blond male, now seated at his house table, whereas Harry's attention was drawn to the girl who had trailed in behind the group.

Her hair was as black as midnight, falling down her back in curled waves. Her eyes were a striking emerald green, much like the colors of her robes that signified that she was a member of the Slytherin house. Her skin was a contrasting paleness against the more vibrant colors of her hair and eyes. She emanated the aura that only that of a Pureblood could give off in the way that she carried herself, her chin raised high and straight as she haughtily stepped towards the Slytherin table.

Out of the corner of his eye, Draco Malfoy glanced at Harry, not unnoticed by Hermione or Ron. The two Gryffindors followed the Slytherin's line of sight to see Harry still staring with interest at the female approaching Draco Malfoy. Draco took his eyes off of the Boy Who Lived to look up at the girl, who leaned down to press a kiss against Draco's cheek. Draco smirked in an almost endearing gesture and scooted over to allow the girl access to a seat between him and Pansy Parkinson, who immediately struck up a conversation with the girl. Draco glanced towards the Golden Trio to find the three staring intently at him and his friends, more specifically the girl next to him.

Draco's eyebrow quirked in acknowledgement before he turned to whisper in the girl's ear, drawing her attention the Gryffindors who had now turned their heads away to converse quietly between them, occasionally taking peeks back at the Slytherin table. When all three glanced at the snakes, Draco and his cronies were blatantly staring right back at them. The mysterious girl at his side smirked at the three students while Draco lifted his goblet of pumpkin juice at them in a mocking gesture before turning to the group and whispering something that broke them out into a round of laughter. Except one.

Hermione and Ron turned their gaze away from the Slytherins in disgust, followed by Harry who hesitated to tear his gaze away from the mystery girl. The mystery girl stared at the Boy Who Lived for a while before Pansy caught her up in a conversation once more.

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**Well, here you go! A ridiculously rewritten version of **_**the Serpent!**_** Hope it was a little better. I will get to rewriting the rest sometime soon. Please review and let me know how I'm doing so I can improve the story. Thanks!**

**-alice**


	2. The Library

**BEHOLD, the new chapter of the rewritten version of **_**the Serpent**_**!**

**To answer any questions of what's happening in the Wizarding World at the moment: Voldemort is back. This IS set in 6****th**** year, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione are wary of Draco being a Death Eater. This is two months into the term, no HBP as of yet.**

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After that first initial sighting in the Great Hall, Harry had yet to catch anything more than a fleeting glance of the new girl and it frustrated him to no end. She never showed at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. As far as he knew, she was not in any of the classes that Gryffindors shared with Slytherins. She always managed to disappear from the Slytherin Quidditch matches. Could it be the girl was nothing more than a figment of Harry's imagination?

It was that thought that Harry was mulling over when he walked into the library two weeks later to meet with Ron and Hermione. Harry silently set his parchment, quill, and ink on the desk, earning the attention of Ron and Hermione who had previously been whispering heatedly between themselves. Harry plopped himself in his chair before either of his friends said anything about his silent behavior.

"Harry, are you alright?" inquired Hermione, reaching across the table to lay her hand over Harry's scar from that detention with Umbridge last year.

"Yeah, mate, you're awfully quiet," Ron added. "Did Moaning Myrtle walk in on your bath again?"

"How is it that the new girl has disappeared after one sighting?" Harry pondered aloud. "I mean, she comes two months into term, attached to Malfoy's arm for Merlin's sake, and then all I can manage to catch is nothing more than fleeting glances?"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other in worry before turning to Harry. Hermione was the one to lean forward, checking over her shoulder at a shadowed table in the corner then looking at Harry once again.

"Harry, what are you going on about? She's right there," Hermione said, nodding her head at the shadowed table she glanced at earlier.

True to her words, the new girl was seated quietly in a dimly lit corner of the library, jotting down notes from a thick tome onto a small sheet of parchment. Harry made a move to stand and approached her until Ron and Hermione reached over the table to grab his arms and settle him once more in his seat. Madam Pince shushed the Trio from her spot at the checkout counter, shaking her head and tutting under her breath, to which Hermione smiled apologetically at the sweet librarian.

"Harry, are you mental?" quipped Ron, wondering why on earth his best friend was so baffled over a Slytherin. "What's Malfoy's new slag doing, getting you all muddled?"

As if on cue, the mystery girl looked up and her eyes met those of Harry, curiosity lingering in the depths of her eyes. Her emerald greens meeting his jade greens, searching for any hints of…anything. She rose to stand before her attention was drawn to the library doors, where Draco Malfoy had entered with Blaise Zabini, and she sat down again.

"Speak of the bloody Devil," remarked Ron, slouching in his seat while simultaneously glaring at the blond and Italian.

The Trio watched as the two Slytherins approached the mystery girl, Draco leaning over her shoulder to run his eyes over the notes she had been scribbling down. Malfoy turned his gaze up at Zabini, who in turn looked around the library for any onlookers. Zabini sneered at the sight of the Golden Trio before whispering something to Draco. Draco nodded and suspiciously leaned in close to the girl, his lips forming words the Gryffindors couldn't quite read, while the female nodded seriously and started to gather her things. It was a matter of seconds before the snakes were making their way out of the library.

"Prats, I tell you," said Ron, glaring daggers at the Purebloods then turning to his friends, "The whole lot of them. Bloody Death Eaters."

"Ronald, we can't safely assume they're Death Eaters," stated Hermione, eyes darting between Harry and Ron.

"Well, they sure act like they are, and their bloody parents are."

Hermione sighed and leaned over the table to start taking notes, studying like the bookworm she was. "We just can't be sure."

"Well, then, how do we find out?" Harry asked, his curiosity about the mysterious girl piqued.

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**Uhm…well, it's longer. Hopefully the story is improving and developing. Review if you must but don't be harsh.**

**-alice**


	3. The Introduction

_The next day, in Potions:_

Professor Snape walked leisurely around his classroom, droning on about Murtlap Essence and its healing effects. The students consisted of Sixth Year Slytherins and Gryffindors, taking notes dutifully. The only sounds in the room—Snape's voice and footsteps, and the scratching of quills on parchment—echoed throughout the dungeon until the classroom doors slammed open with a resounding _bang._ Heads turned to stare at the late-comer, the mystery Slytherin girl, as she confidently strutted towards Professor Snape and handing him a note before heading towards the back desks to take a seat between Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini.

"Miss Serpens, how kind of you to come to class today," Snape sneered. "Students, if you did not already know, that is Miss Alhena Serpens. She recently joined our school two weeks ago and has finally decided to show up to her classes today. How considerate of her."

All eyes were on the mystery girl, _Alhena, _as she pulled out parchment from her book bag while Snape introduced her. She appeared confident and aloof but Harry caught the small flare of embarrassment in her eyes and the way her cheeks lit up briefly with a blush.

"My apologies, Professor—"

"Miss Serpens, have you been given a Confusing Concoction?"

Alhena sighed indignantly in a rather un-Slytherin way and met eyes with Professor Snape. Her shoulders squared in challenge and Harry, as well as most of the class, noticed the tick of her jaw locking to keep her mouth from spewing curses at the teacher.

"No, Professor, I have not."

"A Forgetfulness Potion, then?"

"No, Professor."

"Then can you explain as to why you had decided to ditch my class for two weeks?"

Alhena's left hand fidgeted with the sleeve of her robe anxiously, the right twitching towards her wand. The movement in her jaw showed that the female had resorted to gnawing at the inside of her cheek in order to control herself. Green eyes flicked with angry embarrassment, glaring at each student who dared to snicker into their hands.

"Perhaps it's because I did not feel like listening to your greasy-haired head drone on for an hour, _Professor._"

Eyes and heads snapped in the direction of the mentioned 'greasy-haired head' to gauge his reaction. Black eyes narrowed at the insult, head lifting to sneer down at the girl. Draco hissed sharply under his breath at Alhena, whose defiant gaze locked onto his briefly in an unspoken connection between the two.

"That's two weeks detention, Miss Serpens, to catch up on hearing me _drone on_ about the lessons you missed out on. 20 points from Slytherin as well."

Groans erupted from the left side—the Slytherin side—of the room, only to be silenced by Professor Snape slamming a rather large tome against his workstation at the head of the class. Startled students straightened in their stools, quills at the ready to immediately recommence their note taking.

"Tomorrow you all will be making Murtlap Essence in pairs. Lastly, now that Miss Serpens will be attending class and brings your attendance into an even number, you can all be easily divided into pairs. Miss Serpens, you will be partnered with Hogwarts' resident 'Chosen One,' Mr. Potter. The rest of you are free to choose amongst your houses. I advise you all to choose _wisely_, seeing as how whomever you choose will be your partner for the rest of your year."

Hushed whispers of who's partnering with whom scattered across the dungeon. Slytherins and Gryffindors alike rushed towards their friends, eager to be partnered for the year. However, two trios sat huddled together on their respective sides. The Golden Trio murmured almost heatedly between themselves, most likely figuring out how to get their scarred friend out of his—in the words of Ronald—_Death Eater_ sentence. He thought it was a funny play on words but Hermione and Harry were not amused.

"Harry, it isn't fair he paired you with her. You didn't do anything," Hermione reasoned, ever the level-headed one of the three.

"Yeah, Harry, he's a right git for pairing you with her. Who knows what she'll do to your guys' potions? You could die, mate," added Ron.

"Oh, Ronald, really, why would anyone jeopardize their grade over something so petty?" Hermione shook her head at the redhead.

The boys looked pointedly at each other, grinning at Hermione's typical worry: grades. aHarrHer brown eyes passed between the two before she blushed in fluster, knowing she had put education as a top priority once more. The three shared a laugh before the air turned serious again.

"Harry, perhaps you could ask Snape if you can switch—"

"No," Harry cut in for the first time in the conversation, eyes staring at the floor in deep thought.

"What?"

"Mate, are you mental? You actually _want_ to be paired with her?"

Harry looked at his best friends with calculating eyes. Gears turned wildly in his head, formulating plans that would make Hermione proud. He leaned in closer to the small triangle they had made with their bodies and gestured for them to do the same before Harry began letting them in on his plan. Students still searched for Potions partners so no one paid any mind to the suspicious behavior.

Across the room, the Silver Trio of Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, and Alhena Serpens sat in a similar manner of a tightly knit triangle. However, rather than the Golden Trio's scheming group, the only words being said were the scolding phrases spewing from Draco Malfoy's mouth to the ears of Alhena. She sat on her stool with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring daggers into Malfoy's blond hair.

"Alhena, how could you say that to Professor Snape? Now you'll be in here for two weeks instead of doing the task you were assigned. The dark lord will not be pleased," Draco hissed at her, towering over her small stature intimidatingly. "And now you're bloody partnered with Potter! This was not the plan, Athena."

She peered up at the blond boy in front of her, emerald greens meeting the stormy grays glaring at her. "Good."

Malfoy's eyes widened in surprise at the girl and even Blaise spun around to make sure he had heard her right. Alhena raised her eyebrows at the boys in a bored, matter-of-fact way. Her slender arms crossed casually over her chest while her body relaxed from the Pureblood embedded habit of sitting straight.

"Good? Did you say 'good'?"

"Yes, Draco, _good. _Let's think about this, shall we? Two weeks detention, yes, bad, but our wonderful Head of House just partnered me with the Boy Who Lived… for the entire term."

Something clicked mischievously in the two male Slytherins' eyes and they grinned at Alhena, who smiled the signature Slytherin smirk right back at them. The chatter around them silenced, bringing the Silver Trio back to attention. All eyes were on the three snakes before Draco and Blaise straightened up and sneered at something overhead of Alhena. She stared at them in confusion before turning around in her stool to find herself face to face with Harry Potter.

"My, my, well if it isn't Mr. Potter," Alhena started. "What brings you to our side of the dungeon?"

Slytherins closed in around the Boy Who Lived, forming a tight semi-circle at his back. From the other side of the room, the noise of his fellow Gryffindors tensing up in apprehension were heard, along with the rustle of stools being pushed away for them to stand. Harry glanced behind Alhena at his friends, nodding in a way that let them know he had everything under control. Clothes and stools rustled once more, students taking their respective seats at Harry's gesture.

"Can we have a chat?" Harry glanced around before he squared his shoulders in confidence. "Alone?"

Draco opened his mouth to speak, inclining his head to retort back to his childhood rival until the scraping of metal against tile caught his attention behind him. Alhena had stood from her stool, brushing her hands against her uniform to straighten it out. She nodded at the cluster of students surrounding them, the Slytherins slinking away to their individual seats. She rested her hand on Draco's arm briefly before nodding at Harry to follow her, walking toward the entrance to the classroom where it was further from the noise of the now chattering students.

"You wanted to chat, Mr. Potter?"

"You can call me Harry, uhm, Alhena."

"Oh, a Slytherin and a Gryffindor on a first name basis? How scandalous."

"Listen, let's cut to the chase. Our houses hate each other. I suggest we trade formalities until our partnership in this class is over. Deal?"

"A man who gets to his point, I see." Alhena held her hand out to him. "Well, Mr. Potter—…_Harry_, it looks like we're lab partners."

Hands shook at the sound of the bell.

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**Well, everyone, that's it! Happy holidays to you all. May all your wishes come true. Please remember to be safe and stay warm. Also remember to leave a review! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thank you!**

**-alice**


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